Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to a cartridge, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus. Suitable examples of image forming apparatuses include a copier, a printer (such as a laser beam printer or a light emitting diode (LED) printer), a fax machine, a word processor, and a multi-function printer having functions of these, employing electrophotography to form an image on a recording medium.
Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses, such as printers employing electrophotography (electrophotographic process), uniformly charge electrophotographic photosensitive members serving as image bearing members. Then, the charged photosensitive members are selectively exposed, whereby electrostatic images are formed on the photosensitive members. Then, the electrostatic images formed on the photosensitive members are visualized as toner images with toner used as a developer. The toner images formed on the photosensitive members are transferred onto a recording medium such as a recording sheet or a plastic sheet. Then, the toner images that have been transferred on the recording medium are heated and pressed to be fixed on the recording medium. Thus, image recording is completed.
Generally, such image forming apparatuses require maintenance for various process units including the photosensitive member, a charging device, a developing device, and a cleaning device. Thus, there have been attempts to facilitate the maintenance for the processing units. More specifically, it has been a common practice to contain various process units in a cartridge, that is, a process cartridge that can be detachably attached to a main body of the image forming apparatus. With this system employing the process cartridge, an image forming apparatus offering high usability can be provided (see, U.S. Pat. No. 8,737,863).
The cleaning device, in the process cartridge described above, includes a photosensitive drum, a charging roller that charges the photosensitive drum, a cleaning member that scrapes off the developer remaining on the photosensitive drum, and a cleaning frame that supports these members. The photosensitive drum is rotatably supported by the cleaning frame via a bearing member.
The cartridge is provided with a storage element storing therein service information and process information. With the information stored in the storage element, the image forming apparatus offers higher image quality and better maintenance performance. The image forming apparatus has an apparatus main body provided with an electrical contact for establishing an electrical connection with a storage element contact provided to the cartridge, and thus electrical communications can be performed between the image forming apparatus and the cartridge.
There have been configurations developed to achieve a stable contact between the storage element contact of the cartridge and the main body electrical contact provided to the apparatus main body. More specifically, one such configuration includes a backup member that presses the cartridge in a direction opposite to a direction in which the apparatus main body presses a connector (see Japanese Patent No. 3809402). Another such configuration includes a rotation stopper for the cartridge arranged such that counter force can be obtained in a direction of offsetting a moment generated in the cartridge by pressing force from the main body electrical contact (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-14632). Thus, these configurations can achieve the contact between the electrical contact of the image forming apparatus and the storage element contact of the cartridge.
In this context, FIG. 9 illustrates a conventional configuration in which a storage element is disposed on a side surface on a rear side of a main body of a process cartridge that can be inserted in the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus by moving along the axial direction of a photosensitive drum. In this configuration, the process cartridge receives force from a main body electrical contact in a direction in which the cartridge is pulled out from the apparatus main body. Thus, large retaining force is required for preventing the process cartridge from falling out, meaning that a user has to apply large force to insert and pull out the cartridge.
What is needed is a cartridge, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus offering high usability with the cartridge being easily insertable by a user.